Finally, Rock Cats Hit

EASTERN LEAGUE

NEW BRITAIN — This was bound to happen. The Rock Cats desperately needed to get out of their funk, and they finally broke through Thursday with the right blend of good pitching and offensive pop.

Luis Maza and Ricky Bell hit two-run homers and Danny Matienzo also homered as the Rock Cats defeated the Trenton Thunder 9-1 before a sellout crowd of 6,211 at New Britain Stadium.

It was the Rock Cats' first three-homer game and their first victory over the Thunder in seven games this season. The Rock Cats, who came in hitting .242, had 15 hits.

``[Rock Cats manager] Stan Cliburn spoke to all the hitters before the game,'' Matienzo said. ``He was telling us we needed to make more adjustments at the plate and swing at our pitches. If we stay consistent, this team is going to win a lot of games.''

Cliburn was happy to see his team respond so well.

``You get a few things off your chest and it's good to see how they responded,'' Cliburn said. ``Everything that's been said has been said. Maybe this was said in a different tone.''

The Rock Cats scored two runs in the first. Gil Velazquez singled and scored on Maza's home run to left on the first pitch from Ramon Ramirez. It was Maza's sixth homer of the season and extended his hitting streak to eight games.

They scored their third run on a Luis Jimenez double to left-center that drove in Doug Deeds. Deeds had reached on an error by center fielder Melky Cabrera.

Rock Cats starter Levale Speigner left the game with one out in the fifth after hurting his left hamstring making a stretch at first base on an attempted 3-6-1 double play.

``He is an intense player,'' Cliburn said of Speigner. ``He just tweaked his hammy. Hopefully it's not too bad.''

Lefthander John Thomas replaced Speigner and got out of the inning unscathed. Thomas (3-1) pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with two strikeouts. Pat Neshek pitched the last inning, giving up one hit.

In the fifth, the Rock Cats extended their lead to 4-0 on Matienzo's home run to left. It was his team-leading eighth homer of the season.

After Luis Jimenez walked, Bell gave the Rock Cats a 6-0 lead with a homer to left on a 2-and-0 pitch from Ramirez (1-2).

Eric Duncan, the Yankees' top prospect, ruined the shutout with a towering home run, his fifth of the season, in the sixth.

Navigators 7, Curve 4: Julio Cordido went 3-for-5 with four RBI, including a two-run single in the first and a solo homer in the seventh, as Norwich won in Altoona, Pa.

Cordido, who had an RBI single in the fifth, was a triple shy of the cycle. Brian Burres (2-1) allowed one run and three hits in six innings. Altoona starter Thomas Gorzelanny (2-1) allowed three runs in four innings.